Xelina, formerly known in WWE as Zelina Vega, has reflected on the profound personal significance of taking the WWE Women’s United States Championship to the 9/11 Memorial, where the name of her late father, Michael Trinidad, is honored.
September 11, 2026 marks 25 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which claimed nearly 3,000 lives. Trinidad was working as an analyst on the 103rd floor of the World Trade Center when the attacks occurred. Xelina was 10 years old at the time, and the loss has remained central to both her life and the story she has carried through her wrestling career.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Xelina discussed the memories she has of her father and the surreal nature of seeing parts of his life, her life in wrestling, and WWE history intersect in ways she could never have anticipated as a child.
“Going from making huge ‘Just Bring It’ signs to MSG, to my dad dressing like The Rock and doing the People’s Eyebrow, to Dwayne and his daughter going and seeing his name, went out of their way to go to the 9/11 memorial and go and spend time and FaceTime me during when they went to go see his name, I’m like, what the hell is life? In what universe does this even happen?”
For more background on this topic, read Ric Flair Says He Has Reconciled With WWE, Targets Royal Rumble 2027 Appearance.
The connection is especially meaningful because of Trinidad’s own love of wrestling. Xelina remembered him as a parent who made sure his children were happy and brought humor into their lives. In recalling him, she painted a picture of someone whose kindness and personality remain vivid despite the passage of a quarter-century.
“But yeah, he was always just someone that was looking out for people, making sure that my brother and I were always happy, joking, and laughing.”
A Championship Visit With Deep Personal Meaning
Xelina won the WWE Women’s United States Championship on the April 25, 2025 edition of WWE SmackDown, defeating Chelsea Green. It was a landmark singles accomplishment in her WWE career, and it gave her an opportunity to bring a championship to a place that means far more to her than any arena or title presentation ever could.
Her reign lasted 63 days before Giulia defeated her to capture the championship. While the title reign had an established end point, the moment at the memorial carries a lasting importance for Xelina. It was an act of tribute for her father and an expression of the promise she has made to keep bringing his name with her.
“It’s weird because I did get to bring the United States Championship to the 9/11 memorial,” Xelina said. “I was there with you guys actually when this happened, but even in that, I always promised I’m going to bring the world title here.”
That statement reflects the way championship success has taken on a meaning beyond the normal competitive stakes for Xelina. A title can represent a career milestone, but for her it also provides a tangible way to honor the person whose loss shaped her childhood. The Women’s United States Championship was an important step. Her stated goal of returning with a world title remains a personal aspiration tied directly to her family’s story.
The image of a WWE championship at the memorial naturally resonates beyond wrestling. The United States title, in particular, carries symbolism that goes beyond its place in WWE’s title hierarchy. For Xelina, however, its importance was not based on the belt’s design or status. It was about being able to stand at the memorial and include her father in an accomplishment he never had the chance to see.
Keeping Michael Trinidad’s Name Present
Throughout her career, Xelina has been open about losing her father on September 11. That openness has created a connection with fans who remember him, honor him at the memorial, or have experienced grief and family loss themselves. She said the ways fans acknowledge Trinidad’s name continue to affect her deeply.
“When fans go and take pictures next to his name, that’s mind blowing to me,” Xelina said. “Or when they make signs with his name on it. That’s things that I feel like are also an accomplishment because ultimately I didn’t want his memory, his name to die with him. I wanted to continue to bring him with me regardless.”
For a performer whose career has unfolded in front of a global audience, those gestures have become meaningful reminders that remembrance can take many forms. Fans carrying signs, visiting the memorial, and sharing their support are not simply responding to a wrestler’s on-screen persona. In these moments, they are recognizing the family history behind the performer.
Xelina explained that preserving her father’s memory has been an important priority for her and her brother. She sees his presence continuing through the people who knew and loved him, as well as through the stories that are still told about him.
“I think that’s been an important thing for me is just to have him still living through my brother and I,” Xelina said.
That perspective adds a different dimension to the way she speaks about professional accomplishments. Wrestlers often frame championship victories as career validation, a reward for years of sacrifice, or the fulfillment of a childhood dream. For Xelina, achievements in WWE can also become vehicles for remembrance. Each major moment gives her another platform from which to honor the person she lost.
Learning to Speak About a Defining Loss
Xelina was still a child when her father died. She recalled that her classmates and friends did not know how to approach her in the immediate aftermath. That discomfort is understandable in the context of such a devastating event, particularly for children trying to comprehend a tragedy of that scale while also recognizing what it meant to someone they knew.
Over time, Xelina has become more comfortable with the fact that September 11 is inseparable from her own life story. She acknowledged that there can be a belief that wrestling creative should not be shaped around performers’ personal lives. Yet she emphasized that her experience is not something that can be separated from who she is.
“I know obviously people, they say we can’t book based on what happens in people’s personal lives,” Xelina said. “But I think ultimately, whether I want it to be or not, that’s my life, that’s my story, and that’s something that I’ve had to work to become comfortable with.”
Her willingness to discuss the subject has also made space for others to speak with her about their own losses. While her circumstances are uniquely tied to one of the defining tragedies in modern American history, grief is a universal experience. Xelina’s public honesty has allowed some fans to approach her not only as a WWE performer but as someone who understands the long-term reality of carrying a family loss.
There is no simple resolution to that experience, even 25 years later. Anniversaries can bring memories back into focus, and public commemoration can be emotionally difficult for the families of those who died. Xelina’s comments did not present remembrance as something that ends or fades with time. Instead, they demonstrated the ongoing work of honoring a loved one while continuing to live, perform, and pursue new goals.
Remaining a Fighter
Alongside the loss of her father, Xelina spoke about facing depression, anxiety, and ADHD. She has remained determined to push forward while dealing with those challenges, describing herself as a “fighter.” That outlook has informed both the vulnerability of her public comments and the persistence she has shown in her career.
Professional wrestling demands a great deal from its performers: travel, physical punishment, public scrutiny, and the pressure to continually prove oneself. Xelina’s reflections make clear that her challenges exist outside the ring as well. Her approach is not to deny those struggles, but to keep moving while acknowledging them.
The 25th anniversary of September 11 is a solemn day of remembrance for families across the United States and around the world. For Xelina, it is also a deeply personal reminder of Michael Trinidad: a father who loved wrestling, made his children laugh, and remains present in the life and achievements of his daughter.
Bringing the WWE Women’s United States Championship to the 9/11 Memorial was one meaningful chapter in that continuing tribute. Xelina’s promise to someday return with a world championship ensures that, in her eyes, the journey is not finished. Whatever comes next in her wrestling career, she has made clear that she will continue carrying her father’s name with her.
In pictures
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.